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As a higher education administrator, you know better than anyone the importance of timely communication on a campus, especially in a crisis.

In 2018, we saw schools across the country suffer from violence, and together we had to accept that campuses are targets for what was once the unthinkable.

Then
there are other risks such as severe weather conditions or even day-to-day
communications that need to be addressed. The one thing that is clear is the
importance of having effective communication strategies in place to ensure
campus safety.

Don’t
assume that your campus is immune to crisis. The number of shootings on or near
college campuses increased by 153% between the 2001 and 2006 academic years.1And shooting
incidents are predicted to increase during the next decade Take action in 2019 to improve communication with your
many stakeholders, including students, faculty and staff, families, community
members, and others.

We
have the tips you need to make better communication a reality for your campus
in 2019.

Tip
1: Deliver a Consistent Message

Consistency
is key to an effective communication strategy. Delivering a consistent message
will help tamp down panic and impulsive reactions when a crisis occurs. You can
steer your messaging by following these tips:

Establish the facts
– Emergencies generate rumors quickly. Get the facts before you issue any
statements.

Protect sensitive
information – In a crisis, you can’t always release all the information right
away. Tell the media and your stakeholders only what you can and when they may
expect more details.

Remember your
mission – Stick to your institution’s values during an emergency. End all press
conferences with a statement that ties back to your institution’s mission.

Share the message
internally and on all available channels – Trust is a must when dealing with an
emergency situation. Keep your stakeholders in the loop by communicating
accurate information to them via email, text messaging, website updates, social
media and other channels.

Tip
2: Anticipate a Crisis

While
you can’t predict every situation that might take place, you can prepare for a
threat by knowing how to identify various issues. Equip your campus with
knowledge and preparedness by thinking through different threats that could result
in a larger crisis. Do you know how you’ll respond in the event of a shooter? A
fire? A hurricane? By anticipating a crisis and including it in your crisis communications
plan, you’ll be able to act quickly when an emergency occurs and reduce the
impact that an incident has on your campus.

Tip
3: Conduct Regular Training

To be
sure you and your campus community are fully prepared for a crisis, it is
important to practice and regularly test your communications plan. Train every
member of your campus community and run drills so that everyone is familiar and
comfortable with the protocol. Don’t wait until a crisis hits to see how your
campus responds; give your campus community the information and training they
need to stay safe.

Tip
4: Prepare Crisis Notification Templates

Prepare
mass crisis notification templates to avoid having to craft messages when a
crisis hits. When creating your templates, remember that unclear or lengthy
notification messages will only fuel the confusion during a campus crisis. Ensure
that your messages are as clear and concise as possible, generally not
exceeding 918 characters. Create notification templates before a crisis to
ensure that the right people receive the right information at the right time.

Establish an effective communication plan to steer your campus through a crisis and ensure the safety and security of your stakeholders.